What is Occlusion?
Occlusion is the contact between the teeth of the upper and lower jaw. It is a complex function in which all the elements of the oral system are involved: the two jaws with the teeth, the muscles of the face, the head and the neck, as well as the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). The teeth of the upper and lower jaws are placed next to each other, in the shape of an arch, so that they touch each other forming the dental block.
What is Centric Occlusion?
During its function, the lower jaw moves in different positions. Thus, the contact between the teeth of the two jaws (closure) can be done in different positions.
Centric Occlusion is the position in which we have the most contact between the teeth when they are closed and it is the one position that concerns us the most. We believe that centric occlusion is bad (malocclusion) when not all the back teeth touch with the same force, either because the teeth are “crooked”, ie have orthodontic problems, or because of poor fillings or prosthetic work.
Occlusal anomalies
The term occlusal anomaly is used to describe teeth and jaws that do not fit correctly. Tooth abnormalities can occur independently (dental) or coexist with jaw abnormalities (skeletal abnormalities).
Cross bite occurs when the upper and lower jaws are not properly aligned. It usually occurs when one or more of the upper teeth close inside the lower teeth and can occur both in the front (anterior Crossbite) and / or on the sides of the mouth (posterior Crossbite).
Negative consequences of malocclusion
There are 3 main categories of occlusal abnormalities:
Malocclusion causes difficulty in chewing, something that may not be perceived (due to habit) by the patient who adopts alternative ways of chewing. This causes:
When orthodontic problems coexist, additional problems arise:
Why restoring occlusion is important
Through orthodontic treatment we seek to restore the right relationship between the teeth and the jaws. In this way, we ensure the perfect and normal functioning of the oral system and its longevity. Of course, there are cases of mainly adult patients whereby it is not possible to restore the occlusion completely. This is not necessarily a problem because over time adults have adapted their chewing function to the new, different occlusion.
The purpose of Orthodontics is the earliest possible diagnosis and restoration of the occlusal and functional relationships and health in the oral cavity but also achieving the ideal aesthetics of the teeth and the smile.
